Background
Roach is the son of former Richmond champion Michael Roach and was drafted to the Richmond Football Club at pick 37 in the 2003 American Federation of Labor-Congress Draft under the father-son rule.
Roach is the son of former Richmond champion Michael Roach and was drafted to the Richmond Football Club at pick 37 in the 2003 American Federation of Labor-Congress Draft under the father-son rule.
He was delisted by Richmond at the end of the 2006 season. Roach, an on-baller, managed eight games in 2004, his debut season, but played just one game in 2005, mostly playing in the Victorian Football League (VFL) with Richmond"s affiliate Coburg. Despite solid form, he struggled to push for selection and managed just two senior games for the 2006 season, both against the West Coast Eagles.
In these two games, he collected a total of fourteen possessions – 9 in round 3, and 5 in round 22.
These two games took his career total of games to 11, as at the end of the 2006 season. In these 11 games, he had a total of 80 possessions.
Thomas Roach grew up in Richmond, Victoria and played for Richmond Junior Football Club. He was the first and so far only American Federation of Labor-Congress player to have played for RJFC. Roach played the 2007 season for the North Ballarat Football Club in the VFL. He is currently playing football for the Swan Districts Football Club in the West Australian Football League (WAFL) and is a teacher by profession.